Cloth cutter



Nov. 14, 1950 R. B. TAYLOR, SR., EI'AL 2,530,134

CLOTH CUTTER Filed April 1, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 uvwzzvroxs RHLF'H IEI.THYLEIR, 5R. ROBERT WHEWE LL..JR.

n'TTuRNEy 1950 R. B. TAYLOR, sR., EI'AL 2,530,134

CLOTH CUTTER 2 Sheets-Shet 2 Filed April 1, 1948 INVENTORS R'FILPHIB.TFIYLEIR.5R'.

BY ROBER WHEWELLMR.

76% Y ll nfi HTTDRNE 5 Patented Nov. 14, 1950 CLOTH CUTTER Ralph B.Taylor, Sr., East Cleveland, Ohio, and

Robert Whewell, Jr., New Bedford, Mass., assignors to The Warner &'Swasey Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application April1, 1948, Serial No. 18,468

. This invention relates to weaving and concerns particularlyimprovements in cloth trimming and cutting.

It is an object of the invention to enable selvage tobe trimmed andcloth to be slit longitudinally as the cloth is being woven and to carryout the operation accurately without improperly cutting, tearing, orotherwise damaging the cloth, regardlessof unevenness in the edges ofthe cloth or in the warp threads.

' An, object is to cuta cloth edge with short weft thread portionsprojecting, and with said projecting weft thread portions of equallength. I A furtherobject of the invention is to provide long life for acloth-cutting blade Without necessity for frequent resharpening.

f Still another object of the invention is to enable the cloth-cuttingblade to follow the irregularities in the edge or in the direction ofwarp threads of cloth as it is being wound on the cloth beam.

Other and further objects, features and advantages of the invention willbecome apparent as the description proceeds.

In carrying out the invention in accordance with a preferred formthereof, in connection with a loom forming twisted selvages or pairs ofbinding threads suitably spaced, a blade guide is woven into the clothin the space between the binding threads. in elongated form with a slotfor receiving the cloth-cutting blade. The pairs of binding threads aresufiiciently'close together so that the knifeguide fits snugly and isretained close to the binding threads whichwill form the selvage of; thefinished cloth. The blade guide is held substantially fixed in positionlongitudinally by meansof a guiding cord secured thereto at one end alsowoven into the cloth and tied down at a point behind the heddle harnessof the loom, so' 't'hat the cloth as it moves slips over the guidingcord and the blade guide. It'will be under: s toodfthat the cloth beamis at the front of the Ipomand the warp beam at the rear.

, A better understanding of the invention will be afforded by thefollowing detailed description considered in conjunction with theaccompanying drawing, in which 1' Fig. '1 is a schematic diagramrepresenting a plan view of a portion of a loom illustrating the mannerof carrying out the method of the invent'ionin conjunctionwith such aloom;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a mechanically driven cloth-cutter whichmay be employed in carrying out the invention according to one em- 5'The blade guide is arranged 15 Claims. (01.139-54) 2 bodiment thereof,and showing a longitudinal section of the cloth from which selvage isbeing trimmed; Fig. 3 is a top view of the apparatus of Fig.2; Fig. 4 isa View corresponding to Fig. 2 illus-' trating an electromagneticallydriven cloth-cut t 1 I. Fig. 5 is a rear view of the apparatus'of Fig. 4Fig. 6 is a top view of the apparatus of Fig.4; and Fig. 7 is a sideelevation of a loom showing al' ternative locations for cloth cutters ofthe type shown in Figs. 2 and 4.

Like reference characters are utilizedthro'ugh out the drawing todesignate like parts. Referring to Fig. 1, there'is shown a conven-itional breast beam ll overwhich there is being drawn a cloth consistingof weft threads 12; spacing between'which is exaggerated for clarity inthe drawing, and warp threads l3..only afew of which are shown, alsobeing shown" with exaggerated spacing, for simplicity in: the drawing.There is a conventional reedldfschematic ally represented, includingdents l5ionly some of which are indicated to simplify the drawing andthere is a conventional heddle harness; including a plurality of heddleframes lfitwo of which are schematically indicated. It will beunderstood that warp'threads I3 are drawn from a warp beam not shown.

The heddle frames I6 include conventional heddle wires or cords I! eachcarrying a heddle eye I8 through which one of the warp threads. I3 ispassed.

In weaving looms of thegripper shuttle type having stationary bobbins,it is customary to cut off the weft thread after each beat-up stroke ofthe lay and to provide a false selvage by turning in the cut-off ends ofthe length of weft thread, or a twisted selvage consisting of one ormorepairs of twisted warp or binding threads may be formed at the edges ofthe cloth to hold the ends of the'weft threads. I I, h

Pairs of binding threads may be workedinto the cloth by the use ofconventional selva e, twisting disks [9 and 2. The disk 19 is arrangedto twist a pair of binding threads 2| and 22 and is located to beadjacent thesidemost of the or.- dinary warp threads I3. The disk 20 isarranged to twist a second pair of binding threads 23 and 24 spaced fromthe pair of binding threads 2| and 2 .2,. As shown, the binding threadspass through openingsin the disks l9 and 20 I The twisting disks l9 and20 may be arranged o rotate continuousl for twisting the-bindingthreads, or' to rotate a predetermined number of revolutions in onedirection and a predetermined number of revolutions in the oppositedirection, in accordance with conventional practice. One means ofmounting such twisting disks is illustrated in Patent #2389309 toMoessinger.

Where a twisted selvage is provided, or binding threads parallel to thewarp threads are used, the protruding ends of the weft threads are madeunduly long for a finished cloth, in order that the weaving and selvageforming operations may be carried out reliably. In order to cut off theexcess length of the weft thread after thecloth has been woven, thecloth may be woven with a pair of spaced parallel sets of bindingthreads or twisted selvages, one of which is at the edge of the closelywoven cloth and the other of which is to be trimmed away. In types ofcloth where raveling is not a consideration, the pair of binding threadsnearer the closely woven cloth may be omitted. The trimming knifeis thenrun between the-two sets'of binding threadsclose to the inner one, orbetween the outer binding threads andthe rest of the cloth, so producinga cloth witha neat, close-cut edge. Likewise, when twoor more narrowfabrics-are to be woven simultaneously on a wide loom, pairs of spacedbinding threads-without intermediate ordinary warp threadsmaybeprovided-between what are eventually intended to be separate widthsof cloth gand-a slitting knife or blade may be run between the pairs ofbinding threads, in order to separate the woven material intoindependent widths-of cloth.

The ordinary weaving processes may produce cloth with .some lateraldeviation-of the warp threadsoreirregularities therein instead ofperfectly;str-aight warpthreads. Likewise, the bindin'gthreadsor twisted.selvage threads do not al- Waysarunevenly, and, especially at the edgesof the-.clothgthere may be irregularities rendering it difiicultforanoperator to run a slitting knife close to the binding. threadsor betweenpairs of binding threads without inadvertently cutting into the -bindingthreads or otherwise injuring someof-the fibersrand-damaging the-cloth.Furthermore, the protruding weft thread ends cannot bemade of equallength by the conventional method of employing a slitting knife, nor bymeans of scissors if hand cutting isresorted to.

.In accordance with the present invention the difiiculty in causing theselvage-trimming or cloth-slittingknife-to travel betweenthe pairs ofbinding threads 2|, 22 and 23, 24, regardless of irregularities in themotion thereof, is-overcome by weavingablade guide into the cloth as itis beingformed. One of the heddle frames I is provided with an auxiliaryheddle wire -or cord 25 havinga heddle eye 26; and a guiding cord 21 ispassedthrough the heddle eye 26 in such a manner that the cord 21-isgactually woven into the .cloth-,|2 as if it were a warp thread. Theguiding cord 21 is raised and lowered by'thecustomary motion of the:heddleframelB, sothat weft threads pass underandover the guide cord 27as they would under and over an ordinary warp thread. Ablade guideHis-provided, which is. in elongated form, having an eye 30 to which the.rear .end .(i. e., the=end away from the cloth beam ofthe loom). istied, so that the blade guide 23' in effect forms a continuation of theguide cordl'l'andvis also woven into thecloth with alternate weftthreads or groups of weft threads passing aboveand below the blade guide28.

The front end of the blade guide 28 vi s 4 provided with a slot 29 ofsufficient width and length to receive a cloth-cutting blade 3| and topermit the cloth-cutting blade 3| to be reciprocated back and forthparallel to the direction of the warp threads |3 for severing the weftthreads l2, as each weft thread in succession is brought into contactwith the cutting edge 32 of the blade 3|. If preferred, the eye3flmaytbe a'continuation of the slot 29, or the blade guide 28 may be inthe form of a narrow forked member to which the cord 21 is tied, andbetween the forks of which the blade 3| passes.

Preferably, the-selvage-twisting discs are close enough together tocause the pairs of binding threads 2|, 22 and 23, 24 to be close enoughtogether to avoid excessiv clearance for the blade guide 28.Accordingly, the blade guide fits snugly between the pairs of bindingthreads, or between apair of binding threads and the closely woven partof the cloth so that the blade guide remains at-theconstant distancefrom the sidemost-regular warp thread or the edge-0f .theclosely wovenportion of the cloth.

It .is to be understood that in normal loom-operation the cloth beam isrotated a predeterminedangle with each beat-up motion of the laycarrying the reed 14, thus successive weft threads are carried towardtheblade edge 32. It will be understood that the heddle eye 26 is somounted in the heddle frame l6 that it occupies. the position betweenthe pair ofv binding threads 2| and Z2 and the pair ofbinding threads23-and24. In order to-prevent the blade guide 28 from being carriedalong with the cloth and wrapped into the cloth beam the guide cord 21is securedat its rear end to a suitable stationary or fixed point on theloom apparatus. It may, for example, be tied to one of the bars33:customarily provided in a loom for supporting the drop ins which forma part .of a warp stop motion. The point of support is, as shown, behindthe lay including the reed |4 andbehind the heddle frame It carrying theheddle eye 26 whichcarries-theguidingtcord 21 and is preferably behindall of the heddle frames.-

The guide cord 2! is composed of a suitable, relatively high tensilestrength, durable and fine material, such as nylon e. g., and the bladeguide ZSiscomposed of suitable material such as :steel of thetype usedin piano wire for example, which is-inherentlyresilient and adapted'tobe laterally compressed slightly in passing between closely spaced'pairsof binding threads.

The cloth-cutting blade 3| may be reciprocated so as to provide someshearing action and not depend upon the motion of the cloth beam H inbringing successive warp threads against the edge 32, although myinvention is not limited to a reciprocating or a shearing blade. Thisreciproeating motion may be accomplished mechanically, as illustrated inFigs. 2 and 3, by providing an arm 34 to which the blade 3| is secured,supporting the arm 34 on a shaft 35 in such a manner that it may slidesidewise, and securing asec- 0nd arm 36 to the arm 34 or to .the shaft.35 in such a manner that the arm 36 extends across a continuouslyrotating shaft 31 which may be the mainloom drive shaft or anauxiliaryshaft rotating'therewith. A cam disk .38 is mounted on the shaft .31having cams or lugs 39 mounted thereon in such a position as to engagethe lower end 4| of the arm 36. 7

Suitable means .may be provided such as a returnspring 40., shown as a.torsion spring,,for-

holding the cam-follower arm against the lugs 39. To prevent binding andassure easy axial slidability of the arm 34 on the shaft 35, the arm34-is provided with a collar 42 of ample axial length and adequatelyloose fit on the shaft 35. Likewise, a keyway 43 formed in the shaft toengage a key 44 in the collar 42 is so cut as to provide ample clearancefor permitting easy axial slidability. The spring 40 is secured at oneend to the shaft 35 and at the other to a suitable stationary portion ofthe apparatus. The arrangement is such that the spring 40 rocks theblade arm 34 in one direction and the lugs 39, acting upon the arm 36,rocks it in the opposite direction. lln the arrangement illustrated, thespring 40 produces the cutting stroke but my invention is not limited tothis arrangement, as the parts may also be reversed so that the camproduces the cutting stroke. The blade arm 34 may be supported above orbelow the cloth, but the supporting shaft 35 is represented asunderneath the cloth in the arrangement of Figs. 1 to 3 and '7. It willbe understood also that the cutter blade may be supported in anyposition along the cloth between the lay and thetake-up roll 65.

As the cloth is woven, the cloth beam rotates in response to rotation ofthe loom driving shaft 31. The arm 36 will be actuated intermittently bythe lugs 39 and the spring 40 causing the blade 3| to travel back andforth with a slight shearing action and a component of motion parallelto the warp threads I3. Owing to the shearing action the wear on theblade edge 32 will be distributed along the length thereof and the blade3| will operate satisfactorily for long periods of time withoutresharpenmg.

The blade guide 28 is confined to the space between the binding threads2|, 22 and.23, 24 so that even though there may be irregularities in thecloth or the binding threads move back and forth laterally, the bladeguide 28 will be moved to one side or the other to correspond to suchlateral movements of the binding threads. The blade, in turn, will becaused to slide from side to side on the shaft 34, remaining alwaysbetween the pairs of binding threads 2|, 22 and 23,24.

The arrangement illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 has the merit of requiringno additional driving mechanism for reciprocating the cutter blade 3|,since the loom drive shaft 31 is already a portion of the standard loom.However, the invention is not limited to such an arrangement asillustrated and includes other arrangements, such as electromagneticallydriven cutting knives, for example.

For instance, as illustrated in Figs. 4, 5 and 6, an electromagneticcutter or Vibro tool of a conventional construction may be utilizedhaving a body 5| with a reciprocating member 52 carrying a blade 53having a cutting edge 54 corresponding to the cutting edge 32 of Figs.1, 2 and 3. Figs. 4, 5 and 6 illustrate also the al ternative ofsupporting the cutter above the cloth instead of underneath. Theelectromagnetic cutter in itself does not constitute a part of mypresent invention and the internal construction thereof need not,therefore, be illustrated. A suitable form of such tool is sold underthe name Burgess Vibro Tool and it will be understood that such deviceincludes a, solenoid winding or coil. adapted to be connected to asource of alternating current through a pair of leads 55 acting upon aplunger or armature 56 to which the blade 53 is secured.

In order to provide the requisite lateral freedom of motion of the blade53 within the knife: guideslot 29 in response to a possible lateralmotion of the selvages and the blade guide 28,

tool having sockets 62 formed therein adapted to receive pivot points 63secured in the ends of the yoke 58. In this manner the body 5| is freeto rack around the axis of the pivot points 63, as represented by thearrow 64 in Fig. 5, thus providing the blade 53 with lateral freedom ofmotion to follow a lateral motion of the blade guiding slot 23. In thearrangement of Figs. 4, 5 and 6, as in the arrangement of Figs. 2 and 3,the shearing action of the blade 53 distributes the wear along the edge54 so that clear, sharp cuts are obtained for a long period of timewithout necessitating resharpening or replacement of the blade 53. As inthe arrangement of Figs. 2 and 3, the blade 53 follows irregularities inthe cloth and a clean, uniform, undamaged trim is provided for thecloth.

Certain embodiments of the invention and' certain methods of operationembraced therein have been shown and particularly described for thepurpose of explaining the principle of operation of the invention andshowing its application, but it will be obvious to those skilled in theart that many modifications and variations are possible, and it isintended, therefore, to cover all such modifications and variations asfall within the scope of the invention which is defined in the appendedclaims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a weaving loom of the type having a cloth beam and a heddleharness with heddle eyes for ordinary warp threads and in which spacedbinding threads are wound on the weft threads, a cloth-cutter comprisingin combination with a heddle eye located in a position between theposition of the spaced binding threads, a weft-cutting blade havingmechanism for reciprocating it, a blade guide in the form of anelongated member having an eye at one end anda slot at the other endreceiving said blade, and a guiding cord secured at one end to the eyein the blade guide and at the other end to a point in back of the heddleharness, and threaded through said heddle eye whereby the cord and theblade guide are woven into the cloth but remain stationary as the clothadvances and is wound on the cloth beam, and the reciprocating blade isguided between the binding threads to sever the cloth therebetweenunaffected by unevenness in the weaving or in the cloth edges. 7

2. 'In a weaving loom of the type having a cloth beam and a heddleharness with heddle eyes for ordinary warp threads and in which spacedbinding threads are wound on the weft threads, a cloth-cutter comprisingin combination with a heddle eye located in a position between theposition of the spaced binding threads, a weft-cutting blade, a bladeguide in the form of an elongated member receiving said blade, and aguiding cord secured at one end to the blade guide and at the other endto a point in back of the heddle harness, and threaded through saidheddle eye whereby,

the cord and the blade guide are woven into the cloth, but remainstationary as the cloth advances and is wound .on'the cloth beam, andthe reciprocating blade is guided between the binding threads .to severthe cloth therebetween unaffected by unevenness in the weaving or in theclothedges.

3. In aweaving loom of the type having a cloth beam and a heddle harnesswith heddle eyes for ordinary warp threads and in which spaced bindingthreads are wound on the weft threads parallel to the ordinary warpthreads, a clothcutter comprising in combination a weft-cutting bladeadapted to be reciprocated, a blade guide inthe form of anelongated-member having a slot receiving said blade, and a guiding cordsecured at one end to the blade guide and at the other end toa point inback of the heddle harness with means for weaving'the guiding cordthrough .the weft threads, whereby the cord and the blade guide remainstationary as the cloth advances andis wound on the cloth beam and theblade is guided between the binding threads tosever the cloththerebetween unaifected by unevenness in the weaving orin the clothedges.

4. In a weaving loom of the type having a cloth beam and a heddleharness with heddle eyes for ordinary warp threads and in which spacedbinding threads are wound on the weft threads parallel to the ordinarywarp threads, a cloth-cuttereomprising in combination with a heddle eyelocated in a position-between the positions of the spaced bindingthreads, a weftcutting blade mounted movable laterally transverse to thewarp threads, a blade guide having a slot receiving said blade, and aguiding cord secured at one end to the blade guide and at the other endto a point in back of the heddle harness, and threaded through saidheddle eye whereby the cord and the blade guide are woven into the clothbut remain stationary as the cloth advances and is wound on the clothbeam and the blade is guided between the binding threads to sever theweft threads therebetween.

5. In a weaving loom of the type having a cloth beam and a heddleharness with heddle eyes for ordinary warp threads in which spacedbinding threads are wound on the weft threads parallel to the ordinarywarp threads, the method of severing the weft threads between thebinding threads which comprises weaving a slotted elongated. blade guideinto the cloth between the said binding threads, holding the guiderelatively stationary with respect to longitudinal movement astheielothis wound on the cloth beam, and passing a reciprocated bladethrough said knife guide to sever successive warp threads as they reachthe blade guide prior to winding of the advancing cloth onto the clothbeam.

6. Ina weaving loom of the type in which spaced binding threads arewound on the weft threads parallel to the ordinary warp threads, a clothcutter comprising a weft-cutting blade, a blade guide in the form of anelongated member having a slot receiving said blade, said member beingof such width as to fill the space between said binding threads, andmeans for weaving the blade'guide through the weft threads whilesubstantially preventing longitudinal movement thereof, whereby theblade is guided between the binding threads to sever'the cloththerebetween with uniform lengths of protruding weft threads.

7. In a weaving loom of the type in which bind ing-threads are wound onthe weft threads paralielto the ordinary warp threads and spaced from.the ordinary warp threads, a cloth cutter comprising in combination. aweft-cutting-blade, a blade guide having a slot receiving said'blade',and means for weaving the blade guide through the weft threads whilesubstantially preventing. longitudinal movement thereof, whereby theblade: is guided between the binding threads and the edge warp thread tosever the cloth therebetween.

8. In a weaving loom a cloth cutter compris-- ing incombination aweft-cutting blade, a blade. guide having a slot receiving said blade,and means for weaving the blade guide through the. weft threads in closeproximity to an adjacent warp thread while substantially preventinglongitudinal movement of the blade guide, whereby the blade is guided a,uniform distance from said warp thread to sever the cloth with uniformlengths of protruding weft threads.

-9. In a weaving loom of the type in which binding threads are wound onthe weft threads parallel to the ordinary warp threads and spaced fromthe edge warp thread, a cloth cutter comprising in combination a.weft-cutting blade-hav. ing a mountin providin freedom of movementthereof transverse to the'warp threads, a blade guide having a slotreceiving said blade, and mechanism for passing the blade guide throughthe weft threads in the manner of a warp thread, whereby the blade isguided between theedge warp thread and the binding threads to. sever thecloth therebetween. 7' 7 10. In a weaving-loom a cloth cutter compris-.in in combination a weft-cuttin blade, a blade guide having a slotreceiving said blade, and a mechanism for causing said blade guide to.pass through the weft threads between warp threads in the manner of awarp thread, whereby'the blade is guided between warp threads to severthe cloth therebetween.

11. The method of evenly trimming woven cloth which comprises the stepsof twisting'selvage threads around weft threads along aline spaced fromthe warp threads at the edge of the cloth, weaving a guide into the weftthreads between the'edge warp thread andthe twisted'selvage as the shedis opened and closed to insert the weft threads, maintaining the guidein close. proximity to the said edge warp thread, preventing the guidefrom moving with the advancing. cloth as, the cloth is wound on thecloth beam, and passing'a blade through said guide with the blade edgeaway from the direction of motion of the cloth as it is wound on thecloth beam, whereby the weft threads are cut a fixed distance from thesaid warp thread and the said twisted selvage is severed from'the cloth.

12. The method of evenly trimming wovencloth which comprises the stepsof weaving a guide into the weft threads along a warp thread'as the shedis opened and closed to insert the weft threads, preventing theguidefrom moving with the advancing cloth as the cloth-is wound on thecloth beam, and passing a blade through said guide'whereby the weftthreads are cut a fixed distance from the said warp thread.

13. The method of longitudinally slitting woven cloth which comprisesthe steps of interweaving weft threads and warp threads with spacingbetween a pair of warpthreads, and simultaneously weaving a guide intothe weftthreads-between the said warp threads, preventing the guide frommoving with the advancing cloth as the cloth is wound on the cloth beam,and passin a blade through said guide to cut the weft threads.

l4. Themethod of evenly trimming woven cloth which comprises the stepsof twisting selvage threads around weft threads along a, line spacedfrom the warp threads at the edge of the cloth, passing a slotted guidebetween said warp threads and said twisted selvage threads, passing ablade through said guide and advancing the cloth for cutting the weftthreads.

15. In a weaving loom supplying narrowly spaced longitudinal threadsbetween which the cloth is to be severed and weaving weft threadstransverse to the longitudinal threads, a'cloth cutter comprising incombination a weft-cutting blade, a resilient blade guide compressiblein width, receiving said blade, and means for weaving the blade guidethrough the weft threads between the longitudinal threads, whereby theguide is slightly compressed and retains close contact with saidlongitudinal threads to sever the cloth with uniform length ofprotruding weft threads.

RALPH B. TAYLOR, SR. ROBERT WHEWELL, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

